Black Popcorn 1965

Curator: At first glance, it's…a bit chaotic, isn't it? An almost dizzying array of vertical stripes. Editor: Yes, but let's not shy away from its vibrancy. We're looking at Gene Davis' "Black Popcorn" from 1965. Davis worked with acrylic paint on canvas here, creating something truly… energetic. Curator: Energetic, sure. But what's with this near obsession some Abstract Expressionists have with denying any sign of process? Look how precisely these stripes are delineated; they’re pristine! You have to think about how he made this; masking tape probably played a large role, controlling and guiding that paint, becoming almost an invisible collaborator in its construction. Editor: That control you speak of is, paradoxically, also present in the reception. Museums provided artists like Davis with a space—and legitimization—that smaller art collectives, where experimentation may have reigned, could only dream of. Remember, too, Abstract Expressionism was tied to American ideals during the Cold War – the so-called "triumph of American painting.” Curator: Interesting to note, as this does not have the wild gesture or scale that the leading figures like Pollock or Rothko worked with. In fact, this piece seems like the complete opposite; easily reproducible using some relatively basic and accessible materials and skills, no complex glazing here. What are we to make of that against this mid-century historical backdrop? Editor: We must also see this piece in the light of its time, with American culture increasingly finding itself reflected by a fascination with consumerism. I suggest we think about those uniform rows we find replicated on shelves everywhere! The idea of pattern here, both visual and cultural, becomes key. Davis invites the viewer to step into a chromatic rhythm of an almost industrial, yet intensely stimulating kind. Curator: An appropriate provocation perhaps, and certainly much food for thought as one explores both the artwork and its making. I wonder if it felt freeing to the artist after the gestural style, and if it continues to do the same to contemporary viewers. Editor: Indeed. We've had the opportunity today to trace the lines—literal and metaphorical—of "Black Popcorn." By connecting social history and consumerist contexts to an analysis of method and materiality, a simple array of colours has prompted larger questions that continue to demand deeper reflection.